Ferrari - Red Bull battle: Imola was not an anomaly

“Red Bull was two tenths faster per lap and the advantage is not only in the straights, they are also strong in the corners. They have developed the car, now it’s up to us to do it, we will bring to Barcelona a package that we have been working on since the beginning of the season” – Scuderia Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, in the post-race interview in Miami after Red Bull and Max Verstappen scored their third victory of the 2022 Formula 1 season (always on top when he reached the finish line) admitted that what had already been observed in Imola was not an anomaly created by the weather or by the particular format of the Italian weekend. In Imola, Red Bull began weight-saving push on 2022 F1 car and the RB18 is now gentler on tires, especially the soft ones.

Max Verstappen chased and passed Charles Leclerc in the sprint race at Imola and repeated the moment yesterday in Miami. The press review after the Miami Grand Prix underlines that at least in the race the RB18 is – slightly – faster than the F1-75: “If Ferrari wants to keep the championship hopes alive, the Maranello team needs to perfect the balance of the car. I used the verb ‘perfect’ not by chance. There is not a huge difference with Red Bull. At the same time, there is no time to waste”, the conclusion of the editorial written by Leo Turrini in today’s edition of Il Resto del Carlino titled ‘Ferrari, now small differences remain to be eliminated’.

Giorgio Terruzzi in Il Corriere della Sera talks about the importance of the upgardes expected in Barcelona at the Circuit de Catalunya, where in two weeks’ time, the Maranello technicians will debut an aerodynamic package aimed at finding more downforce without compromising efficiency on the straight, a real strength of Red Bull at the start of the season: “The difference in Miami was made, once again by the tires. Or, better, the relationship between set-up and tire wear by the respective cars. Red Bull was much better in this regard, especially in the initial part of the race – reads the Milan newspaper – Charles is still leading the World Championship, but the advantage which Max Verstappen has is clear at the moment: the Dutchman has won every race in which he has not suffered any breakdowns. This, in addition to making the near future electric, gives enormous weight to the technical evolutions that the two teams will bring to the next Grand Prix, in Spain, in two weeks’ time. A race, that of Barcelona, which will give a different measure as compared to what we have seen so far because it will offer show the results of the first real development package on an F1-75 car which is still in its basis configuration “.

‘I’m going to the Max’ is instead the opening title of the La Stampa newspaper in the pages dedicated to sport that open with Formula 1: “Charles Leclerc got off to a good start, but on lap 9 he had to surrender to Max Verstappen’s higher speed on the straight: a difference that begins to weigh – writes Stefano Mancini in his report – after a start with some problems, Red Bull has recovered performance and reliability and has gone to minus six points in the constructors’ standings. The Barcelona event is historically crucial: the teams bring their developments back to Europe. Ferrari urgently needs to gain performance to respond to Red Bull”.